Chapter 2 - The Two Faces
The cinematic tension on the busy Chicago sidewalk was absolutely paralyzing.
Sophie slipped entirely from Damien’s frozen grip. She walked straight toward the little girl in the faded red dress. Ruby slowly stood up from the concrete, hugging her beige stuffed rabbit tightly to her chest.
The two five-year-old girls stood face-to-face. They stared at each other in sheer, breathtaking disbelief, perfectly mirroring each other's fair skin and striking gray eyes.
Damien didn't call for his heavily armed guards waiting by the black car. He quickly knelt directly behind them, his massive frame completely shielding the two children from the bustling street. His jaw locked. His face was entirely tight with a suffocating mix of profound confusion and agonizing fear.
"You have my face," Sophie whispered softly, reaching out with innocent, amazed curiosity.
Ruby studied Sophie’s elegant cream-white dress and the beautiful ivory bow. Then, the poor little girl gently lifted her tiny, dirt-smudged hand and touched Sophie’s clean cheek.
"No..." Ruby replied, her voice quiet, serious, and incredibly sad. "You have mine."
Damien’s chest heaved. The most feared man in the city couldn't breathe. He crouched fully beside the poor little girl. He looked at her nose, the shape of her chin, the exact shade of her eyes. It defied all logic. It defied all science. Unless the terrifying secret he buried five years ago was violently unraveling right in front of him.
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"Sweetheart..." Damien choked out, his voice low, controlled, but deeply shaken. "What's your name?"
👉 The little girl spoke her name, but it was the hidden silver necklace around her throat that made the mafia boss's blood run cold.
